Comedies for the Virtual Stage

Virtual theatre fed a hunger for live performances during the pandemic, when traditional stages went dark. Online streaming technology enabled audiences to enjoy the magic of theatre in real time from the comfort and safety of home. Today, this innovative art form is thriving beyond crisis times. With high production values and relatively low costs, live online theatre has proven to be more than a stopgap. It expands access for audiences who might otherwise be excluded due to location, disability, or affordability. It also connects actors, directors, and writers across distances, enabling global collaboration. PlayZoomers, Inc.-a pioneering company in digital theatre-has staged more than 135 live productions with artists and audiences worldwide. This book presents 20 original comedy scripts, produced by PlayZoomers between 2020 and 2025, designed to help you explore the potential of virtual performance. Ideal for academic, community, and professional groups, each script offers: engaging storylines, vivid characters, and witty dialogue. The playwrights featured in this book-some of whom are award-winners-can help you ensure that laughter, connection, and the thrill of performance reach audiences anywhere in the world. This anthology is ideal for college acting courses, training students in live online and hybrid modes. The creative challenges are just as compelling-and often more budget-friendly. PlayZoomers are pioneers of performance's future, and these plays are the perfect gateway. -Ansley Valentine, Associate Professor and Head of Acting-Directing Indiana University - Bloomington This collection of short comedies produced by the online theatre company, PlayZoomers, will introduce you to the pleasures and possibilities to be discovered in the world of virtual theatre and entertain you each step of the way. -Donald Steven Olson, award-winning playwright of Oscar and Walt and The Christine Jorgensen Show From the theater at Epidaurus to the laptop screen, play production may have evolved, but our need to laugh at the human condition is unchanged. These 20 plays hold up a funhouse mirror to human nature, delivering classic comedy in a new medium. They empower everyone with a computer and a connection to produce theater and bring the hilarity home. - Christopher Byrne, theater critic, author of A Man of Much Importance: The Life and Art of Terrence McNally